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The Book of Acts
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BIBLE STUDY ACTS 5:1-42 REVIEW: At the beginning of Chapter 4, Peter and John were arrested and held temporarily in custody by the Temple authorities because of their teaching and proclamation that “in Jesus there is the resurrection from the dead.” The Book of Acts stresses the great impact that these first apostles made by their actions, saying “those who heard the word believed…numbering about 5,000.” Before the Sanhedrin Council, made of priests, scribes and elder of the people, Peter, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” speaks (that is, prophetically) about “salvation” in Jesus’ name. That is, Peter details Jesus’ unique role in God’s plan to bring about universal restoration to creation. Although refusing to heed the Sanhedrin’s order to stop their teaching about Jesus, Peter and John are released because the crowds great enthusiasm regarding the healing accomplished in their midst—a testimony to the power of the resurrection in Christ’s name. As a result of this encounter, Chapter 4 ends with the apostles emboldened by the Holy Spirit, encouraged in their mission to spread the word of God, and the church is portrayed as being completely unified. For, “the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possession, but everything they owned was held in common.” CHAPTER 5:1-6 “Ananias and Sapphira” “But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!” Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it. The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him .” This story is reminiscent of the Old Testament story of Achan’s sin (from Joshua, Chapter 7), in which the Israelites find themselves having trouble just as they enter their new territory, “across the Jordan.” In this story, “the LORD’s anger burned against the Israelites” because “They [had] taken some of the devoted things… and they [had] put them among their own belongings (Joshua 7:11).” Well, as it turns out, it wasn’t everyone, but one person, Achan, responsible for the whole nation’s guilt. In the end of the story he confesses to having kept an article of the “spoils” for himself. Apparently this act of mixing that which has already been “devoted” to God with ones personal wealth is a great offense before God. Why? It convolutes God’s great victory for the community with the personal glory of the individual. In the case of Israel, the act of bringing the LORD’s people to the Promised Land was always to be regarded as God’s great and miraculous act. This being the case, to take personal credit for it, (or to keep some of the spoils of battle for personal gain or self-gratification), was to set oneself against / in the place of God. To God alone be the glory and honor and might! Perhaps this New Testament story has a comparable moral. The premise of Acts is that God is accomplishing something new. A new creation; a new and entirely unified body (of Christ) empowered by the breath of the Holy Spirit is being formed. This is an important theme. Recall that after the healing of the beggar in the temple (Acts 3:12), Peter and John make it very clear that this was not accomplished by their “own power or piety.” In this sense, it seems to be significant that taking credit or making personal profit from that which should be dedicated to God, is not acceptable. In fact, from Chapter 4: verse 32, we learn that this early Christian community refrained from claiming anything as “personal possessions” at all. In this story (of Ananias and Sapphira) the details of the land being sold are not clear, nor is the actual extent of the communal element of the early church. From Peter’s remarks we see that even after the land was sold, Ananias and Sapphira had the proceeds at their disposal to do with them as they pleased. So, the problem here, apparently, is not necessarily the possession of personal property. As Peter explains, the offense occurred when they lied to God. It can be inferred that this couple devoted or dedicated this land’s sale to God, making themselves look good (gaining for themselves positive repute), but then proceeded to withhold part of what was devoted. CHAPTER 5:7-11 “The Meaning of Life” “After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you and your husband sold the land for such and such a price.” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things.” This whole saga about Ananias and Sapphira can also be considered an elaboration of a point made at the end of the last Chapter. Notice that in Chapter four, the Church is said to have filled with one empowering Holy Spirit (Biblically, this is the “breath of God”)—one breath, and their voice of proclamation is said to speak a unified “word of God.” In verse 32 Acts states outright that “…the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul.” In Acts, the point being made is that the Church is becoming a unified body—virtually a living organism—and this is becoming the basic unit of humanity in God’s renewed creation. This seems, to me (Pastor Josh) a definite contrast from our American world-view in which the individual(ity) is regarded as the most valuable. Thus, the message of the story of Ananias and Sapphira is a call for people to (re)consider the meaning of life. To choose self is to separate yourself from the life-giving Spirit (breath) of God found empowering the church. This is illustrated by the very sudden deaths of Ananias and Sapphira—as if life support has been instantly removed. The question for us today is also about the meaning in life. The Church is still the vessel for the word of God and the Holy Spirit. Although we do not generally fear dropping immediately dead due to our separation from the church, is there not reason to fear such isolation from the community of faith. Like a flower cut from the plant, eventually the individual separated from the community of faith, does succumb to death, weather spiritual or otherwise. CHAPTER 5:12-16 “The Healing Power” “Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.” Placing the apostles in the Temple at Solomon’s Portico and striding through the streets, the apostles are being portrayed here as the “rulers of the twelve tribes of Israel.” The reaction to the apostles’ leadership is extreme. Many people rush out, bringing their sick and being added to their numbers. Others dared not join them. In some ways the public’s reaction to church and faith is still the same today. This section can also be viewed as the power of the risen Jesus Christ working through his followers, even more powerful than when he was alive, because now he is exalted to the right hand of God. John’s Gospel has a similar message in which Jesus tells his apostles, “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and , in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going the Father.” (John 15:12). CHAPTER 5:17-42 “The Apostles are Undeterred” “Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, “Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.” When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.” When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported, “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on. Then someone arrived and announced, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” When they heard this they were enraged and wanted to kill them. But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. Then he said to them, “Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them—in that case you may even be found fighting against God!” They were convinced by him, and when they had called in the apostles, they had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.” The parallels continue between the apostles interaction with the Sanhedrin council and that at the end of Jesus’ life. The Jewish leadership again operates out of jealousy toward the apostles and fear of the people. At this point it becomes clear that the work of the Holy Spirit is too much even for the council to entirely ignore. Gamaliel, a respected leader of the Sanhedrin decides to advocate a “wait and see” policy. While he compares Jesus with other failed movements, at this point he leaves the door open for God to decide the fate of the Christian movement. While you can certainly argue theology, you can’t argue with success. -------------------- Joshua W. Magyar, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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